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Coach Bittle
Richard "Coach" Bittle is Bitty's father who is generally just referred to by his job title of "Coach." Background The Coach of Madison High School's football team, Coach meets Jack Zimmermann during his visit during the Fourth of July. During that time, Coach discussed Jack's new professional hockey career with him, stating that Jack's dad must be proud of him. Like his wife, Coach was unaware that he was meeting his son's new boyfriend, not his best friend.Year 3, Comic 1 After Jack gets the "A" with the Falconers, Bitty tells Jack that Suzanne and Coach are so proud of him.Year 3, Comic 13 Before one of Bitty's games, Coach sends him a good luck text, as does Suzanne. After Jack mentions how excited his parents are about their relationship, Bitty brings up how Coach and Suzanne had texted him good luck and his worries about telling them about his relationship with Jack. Bitty tells Jack that Suzanne and Coach had loved Jack when they met him, but worries that telling them the truth will cause his parents to change the way they look at them.Year 3, Comic 15 After Bitty scores in the game, he calls Coach and tells him the good news and that it means that Coach and Suzanne have to text him before games from now on. Due to following Jack's career, Coach becomes "a hockey fanatic" according to Suzanne. During lunch with Aunt Judy, Coach went so far as to keep checking the Falconers score on his phone and turned the TV on the moment he got home in time to see Jack score an incredible goal. However, while Jack offered Suzanne and Coach tickets to the Stanley Cup playoffs, Coach has a conference in Alabama and can't make it.Year 3, Comic 23 At 10:25pm on the night the Falconers win the Stanley Cup, Coach excitedly talks with Suzanne about Jack's win and how Bitty might manage to make it out onto the ice. Suzanne calls out to her husband to tell him that Bitty's on TV where Bitty and Jack are kissing live on camera.Year 3, Comic 26 After Bitty ignores his mother's calls all night, Coach texts him at 2:48 in the morning to call Suzanne as she is worried.Year 4, Comic 2 When Bitty finally calls Suzanne, she makes it clear that while she and Coach had no idea that their son was gay or dating Jack, they both still accept him and want him to come home. When pushed for Coach's specific reaction, all Suzanne will say is that Coach loves Bitty and that he said that Jack played a good, strong game and that he hopes that they are enjoying all of the excitment.Year 4, Comic 4 For Family Weekend Bitty's Senior Year, Coach chooses to come up to Samwell to watch his son play. At this point, the two haven't seen each other since March, before Bitty came out. Despite his protests, Bitty is clearly nervous about Coach's visit despite the fact that Jack will be long gone before he arrives and Bitty expects to see him before the game and to have a tense and stoic dinner afterwards. The next day, Bitty is surprised when he returns to the Haus to find Coach already in the kitchen, having arrived early and been let in by Chowder.Year 4, Comic 10 Coach explains that when he got to the hotel, he texted Bitty and got no response so he decided to come to the Haus rather than hanging around. Coach immediately begins commenting on the state of the Haus and Bitty using his aunt's curtains in the kitchen. Bitty introduces Ford and Hops to Coach who questions Ford on how, coming from California and with two brothers into football, she got roped into hockey. Bitty dismisses his friends as some of the team needs to take their pre-game naps and Coach suggests that if any of the team wants to join them, there is a little restaurant where they can watch Bitty's "friend" Jack's game. Bitty is less than pleased to have Coach refer to Jack as his friend instead of acknowledging their romantic relationship. During the game, Bitty's friends wonder where Coach is while Bitty takes a hard check that brings him to his knees.Year 4, Comic 11 After the game, Coach talks with Coach Murray who tells Coach that Bitty makes decisions like a coach's kid. Coach continues to refer to Jack as Bitty's friend, causing Bitty to become angrier and angrier at his father. After Coach's continuing references to Jack as Bitty's friend, Bitty finally explodes on him in the car that Jack isn't his friend but his boyfriend. When Bitty accuses Coach of not supporting him, Coach brings up the fact that he flew all the way to Samwell, but Bitty points out that watching him play and acknowledging that Bitty is dating Jack are two different things. Things devolve into a shouting match between them as Bitty tries to get his father to at least acknowledge their relationship before admitting that he just wants Coach to tell him that he's not messed up. Bitty begs Coach to tell him that he's not messed up, saying he knows Coach has always thought he was with the figure skating, baking and all of the girly stuff he likes to do instead of football. Coach appears to be stunned by Bitty's words before telling his son that he's never been messed up and Coach has never thought that about Bitty and his being with Jack doesn't make him messed up. Coach seems surprised that Bitty doesn't know that, but Bitty asks his father how he's supposed to know what he thinks. Coach simply states that he'll take him back to the Haus.Year 4, Comic 12 The next day, Coach drops by the Haus before heading to the airport. To Bitty's surprise, Coach asks him to bring Jack to Madison for Christmas so that Coach and Suzanne can get to know him properly as Bitty's partner and boyfriend. Coach reminds Bitty how much Suzanne loves Jack and predicts that she'll go off the deep end getting everything ready for him and Bitty promises to ask Jack who he knows would love to come if he is able to. Coach and Bitty share a hug and Coach tells Bitty that while Samwell had a tough loss, they'd get them next time and that Bitty's doing great at Samwell, is a good captain and has his team behind him. Coach reiterates to his son that Bitty is good which he appreciates and the two say I love you's before Coach takes off. Moments later, Bitty gets a text from Jack who Suzanne had contacted about what food he'd like for the holidays and Bitty realizes that his boyfriend is going to meet his parents.Year 4, Comic 13 When Jack arrives in Madison in the middle of the night, he and Bitty are surprised to find Coach and Suzanne awake and waiting for them. Coach shakes hands with Jack, telling him that he saw Jack's game and Jack awkwardly responds, unable to figure out what to call Bitty's father. As Suzanne starts arguing with Jack and Bitty about sleeping arrangements, Coach announces he's going to bed and quickly removes himself from the awkward situation.Year 4, Comic 14 When Bitty wakes up the next morning, Suzanne informs him that Coach has already taken Jack to run errands. At the local hardware store, Coach briefly argues with the proprietor and tells Jack they're going to be getting an orbital sander from Jesse on the way back. Looking at a grinder, Jack comments he thinks its the same one the Falconers have in the equipment room. Coach tells Jack that it's good that he and Bitty are together and Jack is good for him. After Jack thanks him, Coach quickly changes the subject and tells him that they've got the wood stain and Dale is going to load the pressure washer into the truck. As they leave, Coach tells Jack that they are going to swing over to Madison Drug as well as one of his assistant coaches has a niece whose crazy about Jack. Jack remembers Bitty telling him about that and offers to sign a jersey for her. When they return home around one o'clock, Coach notices that Suzanne is in the middle of a meltdown. Jack quickly realizes that its over the jam feud between Suzanne and her sister Judy and Coach orders Jack to keep moving so they don't get involved in the argument.Year 4, Comic 15 Later, Coach sits alone on the couch while Suzanne entertains guests in the kitchen. Trivia For much of the comic series, he is an unseen character who is mentioned only. He is also called by his first name for the first time in Year 3, Comic 26 after Suzanne see Jack and Bitty kissing on TV. Despite being Bitty's father, even Bitty calls him Coach with the one noticeable difference being when Coach surprised Bitty by showing up at the Haus early. When Bitty introduces his father to Ford and Hops, Coach tells them to call him Coach. Bitty later calls him Daddy and Dad when Coach invites Jack down for Christmas. Subsequently, Bitty seems to refer to him as Daddy more than Coach, possibly due to the improvement in their relationship. Coach is stated to look just like Bitty though he is taller and has red hair instead of being blonde. When Jack greets Coach in Madison, it is the same kind of awkward greeting Bitty gave when he first met Bad Bob.Year 4, Comic 14 When Jack calls Bitty "Mr. Bittle," he tells Jack that "Mr. Bittle is my father's name."Year 4, Comic 16 References Category:Characters